Artificial hand



I w. E. LUKE.

ARTIFICIAL HAND. APPLICATION FILED APR. 21,1920.

1,380,664., PatentedJune 7, 1 921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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w. E. LUKE.

I ARTIFICIAL HAND. APPLICATIO N FILED APR. 2|. 1920.

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WILLIAM E. LUKE, OF KALISPELL, MONTANA.

ARTIFICIAL HAND.

instinct.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented June '7, 1921.

Application filed April 21, 1920. Seria1 No. 375,509.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. LUKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kalispell, in the county of Flathead and State of Montana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Hands,of which the following is a specification.

A person suffering the loss of afhand is enabled to replace the loss inpart by artificial means. The efficiency and range of usefulness of suchmeans depend largely upon the capabilities and variety of adjustmentthereof and ease with which the same can be manipulated.

The invention provides an artificial member embodying an attaching frameto be secured to the stump, a main frame adjustably connected to theattaching frame to be set to any required angular position andcomprising fore and rear sections capableof relative angular adjustmentand fingers pivoted to'the fore section of the main frame and operableat will to grip or release an article.

The drawings illustr ate'a preferred embodiment of to be understood thatin adapting the same to meet difierent conditions, various changes inthe form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resortedto without departing from the nature of the invention as claimedhereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying draw- 1ngs: Figure 1 1s a top plan view ofan artificial hand embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of thehand. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. .1.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a5-5 of Fig. f.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Correspondingand like parts are referred to in the following description andindicated in the several views of the drawings. by like referencecharacters.

The device will be provided with suitable attaching means for securingit to the amputated stump and since such means are well understood inthe art and will depend largelyupon the nature of the amputation,

sectional detail on the line the invent-ion. However, it is it is notdeemed essential to illustrate or refer thereto in detail.

The device comprises essentially an attaching frame 1 and a main frame,the latter being connected to the attaching frame in a manner to-admitof its angular adjustment to any required position. The main framecomprises a fore section 2 and a rear secloose, the main frame may beturned to any.

required angular position. Upon tightening the union 6, so as to bindingly grip the flange 7 between the rear end of the ring 4 and theinner flange of the union, the main frame is made secure in the adjustedposition.

The fore section 2 has parallel rear extensions 8 which overlap theinner sides of the extensions 5 of the rear section 3. Pivot fastenings9 connect the overlapped extensions 5 and 8 and are oppositely disposed.The extensions 5 converge forwardly and their outer front edges arecurved on the arcs of circles whose centers coincide with the pivotfastenings 9. A' plurality of notches 10 is formed in the forward curvededges of the extensions 5. Latch members are mounted upon the extensions8 of the fore section 2 and are adapted to cooperate with the notches 10to hold the section 2 in the relative adjusted position. The latches areof L-form and comprise members 11 and 12. The members 11 extend inwardlyand pass through openings formed in theextensions 8 and engage thenotches 10 of the extensions 5. The members 12 are disposed beyond themain frame so as to be engaged and pressed inward at their free end whenit is required to disengage the members 11 from the notches 10 to admitof the section 2 being adjusted pivotally about the fastenings 9.Expansible helical springs 13 normally exert a pressure on the The ring4 is exter-- members 11 to hold them in engagement with the notches 10.A housing 14: is secured to the outer side of each of the extensions 8and receives a spring 13 and has the latch member pivotally Connectedthereto. Each of the latch members is formed with a projection 15, whichconstitutes a stop and engages the housing 14: to limit the outwardmovement of the member 12 at its free end. This is shown most clearly inFig. 1.

The fingers are pivotally connected to the forward portion of the mainframe and may be of any desired construction. The fingers are of similarformation but may comprise any number of gripping elements. lin thepresent instance the fingers are designated by the numerals 16 and 16Each of the: fingers is provided with a shank 17. The fingers curvethroughout their length. The shanks 17 likewise curve longitudinally.The fingers 16 and 16 are shown as consisting of a plurality of grippingelements wherea the finger 1o is shown as embodying a single element. Itis to be understood that the fingers may embody any desired number ofgripping elements to insure a firm grip being obtained upon the articleto be held. The rear end of the shanks 17 terminate in projections 18which are adapted to engage the edges of a slide 19 which is mounted inthe main frame to receive a reciprocating movement. The edges of theslide 19 are grooved as indicated at 20 to receive the projecting ends18 of the shanks 17. The edges of. the slide 19 are curved to provide acompact structure and cams for the projections 18 to ride upon to eifecta closing of the fingers when the slide 19 is pressed inward. The frontportion of section 2 is of flattened form and receives the slide 19 andthe shanks of the fingers. The slide 19 is disposed centrally of thesection 2 and is directed in its movements by guide means which embodyin part pins 21 and parallel slots 22, the latter being formed in theslide 19 and the pins 21 passing through the slots 22 and supported attheir ends in the sides of the sections 2. Lateral extensions 23 areprovided at opposite sides of section 2 and are grooved in their innerfaces to receive ribs 24; at opposite sides of the slide 19. The shanks17 are disposed beyond the slide 19 and are pivotally connected to thesection 2 by fastenings 25 which may consist of bolts, rivets, oranalogous securing means. The portions of the shanks 17 receiving thepivot fastening-s 25 are slotted, as indicated at 26, and receiving thecoils of springs 27 which have their outer ends engaging the section 2and their inner ends engaging the shank 17 of the fingers. The springs27 normally tend to hold the fingers 16 and 16 in open position. Whenthe slide 19 is pressed inward, as shown in Fig. 5, the projections 18ride upon the inner end thereof, thereby closing the fingers on thearticle received between them. The slide 19 when free is pressed forwardby the action of the projection 18 riding upon the inner or rear endthereof.

A pressure piece 28 projects forwardly from the slide 19' and iscentrally disposed. The pressure piece 28 is located -between thefingers and is adapted to be engaged by the object received between thefingers and adapted to be gripped thereby. When the object is receivedbetween the fingers and exerts a pressure on the part 28 the latter ismoved inward thereby causing a corresponding rearward movement of theslide 19 with the result that the fingers are closed upon the objectwhich is gripped thereby. The gripping of the objects is proportionateto the pressure exerted upon the part 28. Outward movement of the slide19 is prevented by restrainin means which are antomatic in action. isshown the restraining means consist of teeth 29 a detent or pawl 30. Thepawl 30 is pivoted to one of the lateral extensions 23 and its activeend is disposed to engage the teeth 29 so as to hold the slide whenpressed inward. A spring 31 eoacts with the pawl 30' to normally hold itin engagement with the teeth 29. When the pawl is disengaged from theteeth 29, the slide 19 moves forward and the fingers spring apartthereby releasing the object gripped thereby. If it is desired to graspany object the artificial hand will be pushed toward the object so thatit will be engaged by the pressure piece 28 thereby moving the sliderearwardly toward the arm of the operator and thereby closing the fin erpieces as has been described.

Ks hereinbefore stated the appliance is of such construction as to admitof it being firmly secured to the amputated stump and is susceptible ofa variety of adjustment so that the main frame and fingers may be movedto any desired angular adjusted position-and made secure. The fingersare adapted to operate with equal facility in any adjusted position,both to grip the object to be held or to release the same. Theconstruction is such as to provide an appliance which is relativelylight, compact in arrangement and easily manipulated both when grippingand releasing the. object to be held or liberated and is also adapted tobe firmly attached to the stump and conveniently and readily releasedtherefrom.

What is claimed is:

1. In an artificial hand, a frame, fingers pivotally connected to theframe, and a slide operable between the fingers to efiect a positiveopening and a closing thereof.

2. In an artificial hand, a frame, a slide on the frame, and fingerspivoted to the frame beyond the slide and having projecting portionsyieldably held in contact with the slide and movable therewith to effecta positive opening and closing of the fingers.

3. In an artificial hand, pivoted fingers, a slide in cooperativerelation with the fingers to effect a closing thereof, and restrainingmeans for holding the slide pressed inward to maintain the fingers inclosed position upon an object gripped therebetween.

4. In an artificial hand, a supporting frame, fingers pivoted thereto, aslide mounted on the frame and operable between the fingers to effect anopening and a closing thereof, and a pressure piece connected with theslide and adapted to be engaged by an object received between thefingers to effect a closing of the latter thereon.

5. In an artificial hand, a supporting frame, fingers pivoted thereto, aslide operable between the fingers to effect an opening and a closingthereof, a pressure piece connected with the slide, and spring meansnormally tending to hold the fingers in open position and the slideprojected.

6. In an artificial hand, a supporting frame, fingers pivoted to theframe a slide operable between the fingers to effect a closing thereof,spring means normally holding the fingers in open position and the slideprojected, a pressure piece for moving the slide inward, and detentmeans for holding the slide pressed inward and the fingers in closedposition.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM E. LUKE.

Witnesses Momus W. Bor'roRr, FRED A. LUKE.

